Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Clash at Anpyeong County Gates
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“Which bastard swings a stick at someone’s face out of nowhere? Don’t they teach manners in the Nangong Clan? Huh!?”
“…….”
Jeok Seong’s eyes twitched repeatedly as he glared at Yu Hyun, who was yelling with his eyes blazing fiercely.
Just moments ago, during their clash, the punch he thought he’d dodged had grazed him, leaving his cheek burning.
It was truly astonishing.
Who was he?
A member of the Nangong Clan’s elite Azure Heaven Troops, a warrior skilled enough to be slated as the Patriarch’s personal coachman.
At his young age, he’d reached the Intent Qi stage and was the center of high expectations—yet he’d allowed an unexpected attack from this man with a massive build, like he was wearing a tent.
Even as his anger boiled over uncontrollably, Jeok Seong quickly cooled his head and replayed the chubby man’s movements.
Fast. And concise.
It had pierced his guard as if anticipating his every move.
This was no opponent to hold back against.
“Not bad. Even without true qi behind it, dodging a strike infused with Azure Bow Infinite Sword.”
“Damn it, what’s Azure Bow Infinite Sword? You can’t even use it properly.”
“…….”
Jeok Seong’s gaze turned icy cold at Yu Hyun’s words.
“Are you… insulting our clan’s martial arts?”
“Quit messing around. I’m insulting your skill.”
“…….”
“Swing that thing around all day like that, and it’s useless. Put it away and apologize. Then I won’t make a fuss.”
“……Apologize?”
Jeok Seong slowly lowered his stick as he mulled over Yu Hyun’s words.
“You’re insane.”
“What?”
“The Nangong Clan doesn’t apologize to enemies.”
“…….”
Yu Hyun blinked blankly at the sharp rebuke.
Enemies?
You blocked the road and struck first… Are you brainless?
“Sigh, fine, whatever. What’s the point of talking to you? It just hurts my mouth. Forget the apology—just get out of the way.”
As Yu Hyun waved his hand dismissively and stepped toward the Anpyeong County office, Jeok Seong blocked his path again.
“I said step back.”
“……Move.”
“You’re not the type to listen to words.”
Shing!
A chill touched Yu Hyun’s neck as he tried to push forward heedlessly. Jeok Seong had drawn his sword.
“You damn dog, daring to point that at our Young Master’s neck!”
“Oh dear, what do we do? He might hurt the Young Master like that.”
“What are you all doing? Call the constables now!”
“Notify Yu Clan Manor too!”
Worried voices rose from all around, but Jeok Seong ignored them completely, pressing his sword to Yu Hyun’s neck in threat.
“Next time won’t end with a warning, tubby.”
“…….”
This bastard’s really going to slice me?
Yu Hyun’s eyes turned cold.
Drawing a sword just for not heeding a “stay back”—even if the Nangong Patriarch or the Emperor were inside, it didn’t justify treating someone’s life so lightly.
A warrior like this…?
“Sigh, you’re truly a damn scourge. Don’t they teach basic human decency in your precious Nangong Clan?”
“…….”
“……Put the sword away. Keep this up, and I won’t hold back anymore.”
Even at Yu Hyun’s icy warning, Jeok Seong smirked, twitching his blade.
“Won’t hold back? How thrilling…”
Whirrl!
In an instant, a whirlwind erupted before Jeok Seong’s eyes.
Yu Hyun had lowered his stance and twisted his massive body into a fierce spin.
Thwack!
“Guhhh!”
An elbow shot out mid-spin, slamming into Jeok Seong’s gut before he could react, making his eyes bulge with bloodshot fury.
Azure Bow Infinite Sword? Prodigy of the Azure Heaven Troops?
Bullshit.
Crunch!
“Urk!”
Before Jeok Seong’s body hit the ground, Yu Hyun’s hand—having spun back—grabbed his hair viciously.
“I said I wouldn’t hold back, you bastard.”
“……!”
Whoosh! Crack!
A thick fist smashed into Jeok Seong’s face, caught helpless in the whirlwind by his gripped hair.
“Argh!”
Yu Hyun released his hand, then whipped his leg around to strike Jeok Seong’s nape.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
The sword had clattered to the ground long ago, ringing out metallically. Yu Hyun pummeled Jeok Seong mercilessly.
Splat!
As the spin halted, a massive fist plunged into his gut, launching Jeok Seong’s body airborne before it plummeted.
Crack!
A rising knee smashed into his face.
Clang!
Jeok Seong flew into the carriage, collapsing with unfocused eyes—just as he was about to crumple.
Grab.
“Who said you could fall?”
“……Urgh.”
“Today, I’ll teach you the human decency the Nangong Clan skipped!”
Whoosh!
Yanking Jeok Seong up by the collar roughly, Yu Hyun swung his hand viciously.
Slap! Slap!
Jeok Seong’s face whipped left and right relentlessly from the stinging slaps.
“You bastard, you arrogant prick.”
Daring to put a blade to someone’s throat?
With his long-suppressed Jin Wi-gang surging, Yu Hyun would drill decency into his bones.
As Jeok Seong’s cheeks swelled red from the merciless barrage, someone dropped from above.
“Stop!”
It was Young Master Nangong Seong.
But Yu Hyun, who’d never met him, couldn’t recognize him from a mere glance.
What the hell, who’s this punk now?
Blind with rage, ignoring all familiarity, Yu Hyun twisted toward Nangong Seong and lashed out with a kick.
Boom!
“……?”
Nangong Seong deflected the incoming kick, lowered his stance, then surged up targeting Yu Hyun’s face.
Startled, Yu Hyun arched his back to dodge, but Nangong Seong spun mid-air and thrust a kick.
Thud, thud!
Seizing the opening from Yu Hyun’s flustered defense, Nangong Seong aimed for the hand gripping Jeok Seong’s collar.
Slash!
Oh? Who said let go?
Yu Hyun yanked Jeok Seong toward himself swiftly.
Rip!
But Nangong Seong wasn’t so easily fooled.
Yu Hyun barely dodged as Nangong Seong twisted in pursuit, slashing with sharpened nails at his hand’s back—then froze.
Wait.
Great Cyclic Nineteen Forms earlier, now Cold Spirit Divine Claw?
These were the Nangong Clan’s direct lineage techniques: Golden Crow Hand and formations.
Realization dawned in a flash.
How could he not know?
He’d learned them directly from the Sword King, one of the Righteous Six Saints…
Damn it all.
Yu Hyun realized the intruder was a Nangong direct descendant.
Young-looking, yet his movements were no joke.
Far superior to that Jeok Seong punk.
But still—attacking without assessing the situation?
No wonder the underlings were trash; the upper echelons were rotten first.
“……Tch.”
Fresh anger surged, but he decided to back off and sort right from wrong.
Nothing more foolish than charging blindly against unknown strength.
Hated to admit it, but he lacked the training to face this level of expert yet.
Besides, even a rotten direct descendant should know right from wrong.
As Yu Hyun hurled Jeok Seong aside and retreated swiftly—
But…
Damn it, why’s he chasing?
Mistaking it for flight, Nangong Seong pursued with blazing eyes and swung a fist wreathed in azure flames.
Poof—Exploding Thunder Divine Fist?
The power in that fist… at least Intent Qi level?
Too late to dodge, and with Yu Hyun’s Spirit Qi merely at Rushing Qi, blocking would still jolt him hard.
He could suffer serious internal injury… so?
Quickly devising a counter, Yu Hyun thrust both palms toward the fist.
The Nangong Exploding Thunder extended the fist while twisting its qi for explosive amplification.
Counter-twist to cancel the rotation.
Shrrk!
“Grgh!”
Even channeling qi maximally, his palms tore with agony.
But the reversal weakened Nangong Seong’s fist power noticeably.
“I-Incredible!”
Nangong Han-su, watching from afar, bulged his eyes at the move neutralizing the Nangong’s prized Exploding Thunder in a split second.
“That young man is…?”
He’d thought him decent in the initial exchange, but this was shocking.
Pinpointing the explosion peak and countering just before—impossible without deep knowledge of Exploding Thunder.
Nangong Han-su eyed Yu Hyun more cautiously.
Meanwhile, Yu Hyun inwardly sighed in relief amid sweat-soaked pain.
Good, weakened it—now just twist the direction… Huh?
Facing Nangong Seong’s countenance head-on for a split instant, Yu Hyun’s eyes widened.
“……You?”
A face impossible to forget.
That one. From deep in his memories—his own…
The unexpected encounter disrupted Yu Hyun’s stance.
Grind!
Enraged that his attack was blocked by this unheard-of tubby, Nangong Seong’s fist surged through the gap.
Crack!
“Gaaah!”
Pain etching into his bones from gut to core wrenched a scream from him.
Crash!
Yu Hyun’s body flew, slamming into the ground with a racket.
“Urgh…….”
Damn. If my grip hadn’t slipped…
Grinding his teeth, he barely rose—only for his drained body to slump again.
“Impressive. Reducing my fist’s power in that situation. I must learn who you are.”
Nangong Seong approached the kneeling Yu Hyun with chilling aura.
Damn, can’t hold out anymore…
Thud.
Yu Hyun couldn’t cling to fading consciousness and collapsed limply forward.
“The way you neutralized Exploding Thunder was surprising, but… Hm?”
Nangong Seong smirked, advancing on the falling Yu Hyun—then halted.
The people…
Onlookers surrounded them, eyes venomous, shielding Yu Hyun.
Regardless of age or gender, all of them…
“What is this?”
Nangong Seong was baffled, as was watching Nangong Han-su.
Who the hell was this guy for them to glare murderously, ready to hurl stones?
“What’s this commotion in quiet Anpyeong County…?”
O Hyun emerged after sending the letter, tilting his head.
“Ah, Patriarch. Here you are. Heh, sent word to HQ—reply soon… Hm? Why’s the mood so tense?”
Approaching Nangong Han-su, O Hyun sensed something off and scanned around.
Jeok Seong, sprawled froglike, beaten senseless.
Nangong Seong, fists clenched tight, as if he’d thrashed someone.
Nangong Han-su watching in bewilderment.
And… the people?
Clearly Anpyeong locals—why were they encircling the Nangong warriors like they wanted them dead?
Amid his shock, O Hyun spotted the massive figure beyond the crowd.
That build… familiar.
Anpyeong had one that size, but way bulkier than remembered… Huh?
Peering through as people struggled to support him, O Hyun paled upon seeing the face.
“Y-Y-Young Master Yu?”
“Hm?”
“What?”
Nangong Han-su and Nangong Seong whipped around at O Hyun’s mutter.
Ignoring them, O Hyun bolted over in horror, hugging the fallen Yu Hyun.
“Y-Young Master Yuuuu!”
“…….”
“W-What ruthless brute did this to our precious Young Master Yu!”
“…….”
The ruthless father-son duo blinked dumbly.
Young Master Yu?
That Yu Hyun?
The pig demon from Yu Clan Manor, too fat to even stand…?
“What are you lot doing? Fetch a physician and a stretcher! Beggars’ Sect, scatter and hunt the culprit! He couldn’t have gone far! Find him! We must catch him!”
“…….”
As ordered, the nearby culprit Nangong Seong drooped his arms, staring blankly at his father.
Father… this feels seriously fucked. Or am I imagining?
Ignoring his son’s gaze, Nangong Han-su bitterly smiled, pulling a book from his robe and gazing at it.
……Guess this is useless now.